The investigators are organizing the Santa Cruz Developmental Biology (SCDB) Meetings around a theme, "Diverse Strategies in Development". The goals of the SCDB Meetings are to educate the community about the latest major advances in developmental biology through the dissemination and discussion of current data and emerging concepts. Simultaneously, the meetings facilitate scientific networking among developmental biologists at all stages of their careers. This is possible because the meeting size is relatively small and fosters interactions, yet the caliber of science is exceptionally high. The organizers also bring together a diverse group of scientists who use genomic, genetic, biochemical, molecular, cellular, and classical embryological approaches to bear on the most important aspects of development across the full range of plant, animal, and microbial model systems. This assembly is a single-platform style meeting occurring over a period of one evening and three full days, and is comprised of seven sessions. Each session consists of four 25-minute invited talks and three 15-minute talks selected from the abstracts. All 28 of the invited speakers gave enthusiastic, affirmative responses upon receiving invitations to participate. Seven of them are session chairs and have been recruited from the ranks of the leaders in their fields. In order to provide the opportunity for the widest range of speakers, the organizers will choose an additional 21 platform presentations from the abstracts. Speakers selected from abstracts will preferentially be students, postdoctoral fellows, and early stage investigators, and the organizers aim for gender parity. PROJECT NARRATIVE: Research in developmental biology has contributed significantly to our understanding of the fields of congenital diseases, stem cell biology, oncology, and regenerative medicine. Understanding the cellular and molecular control of developmental processes will help us decipher the causes of birth defects, and ultimately lead to new techniques for diagnosis and treatment. In the 2010 SCDB meetings, the organizers will learn how various fields are making major breakthroughs and how these can further accelerate the progress in science in fields under the umbrella of developmental biology